Polymer Banknotes

What are polymer banknotes?

Polymer banknotes are made from plastic (polymer substrate)
and offer distinct durability and security advantages over traditional paper
banknotes. Paper banknotes aren’t made from paper at all, in fact, they are
commonly made from a cotton blend which explains why the banknote can survive a
spin cycle in your washing machine. Polymer banknotes not only feel completely
different when held, they also allow new design features, artwork and some even
become commemorative of a bank’s decision to make the switch making them more
desirable to collectors. In addition, counterfeiting currency has led to an
increased demand in security features that paper banknotes simply don’t have. For
these reasons, more and more banks are switching to polymer banknotes as of
2017 because the benefits outweigh the costs.